Chapter Text
He was hungry, tired too. Beef or pork? What was he doing tonight? Were there documents he should be working on? When’s the last time he went on a mission?
“Shikamaru? Shikamaru, did you hear anything I just said?”
The Nara’s gaze slowly shifted from the sky’s wispy clouds back to the blond who had not stopped talking since they left her family flower shop. Her stare already told Shikamaru that, even by doing nothing, he had gotten himself into some serious trouble.
Ino rolled her eyes and in doing so dropped her heated expression. Each of them knew better than to trust Shikamaru to follow along to a story of any kind whether it be plain gossip or an emotional vent. He would hear none of it, yet sometimes he seemed to remember key points. Well he at least picks up enough to save himself during the following listening checks.
Shikamaru looked to Choji. Hopefully, his friend had been listening enough to entertain her rant. He then mentally cursed once he realized not even Choji had cared to listen in. Feeling defeated, Shikamaru slouched and shut his eyes. They were going to get an ear full now if they hadn’t already before, but as soon as the girl before him stopped clenching her teeth and opened her mouth, another effeminate voice sounded off in the distance. The Nara kept his eyes sealed until he could discern the exact voice that had interrupted Ino’s lashing out.
“Hey, you guys!”
TenTen. It was safe. The kunoichi should lift some of Ino’s irritation or at least share it with the two, male shinobi. After hearing the Yamanaka call in response, Shikamaru’s shoulders relaxed and he opened his eyes. A sigh of relief slipped from him as he watched team Gai approach the InoShikaCho trio.
“You guys feeling for some barbeque?” TenTen asked.
Choji didn’t answer only due to the fact that everyone already knew he would never turn down food, especially barbeque. As for Ino, however, it was never as easy.
“I don’t know, I’m trying to watch what I eat. I would still like to tag along though but at the same time, I don’t want to be tempted to eat anything that I shouldn’t.” Ino contemplated. TenTen’s focus never left the blond and showed complete interest as if the same applied to her as well. At least someone was giving the girl attention; Shikamaru and Choji could only do so much after a while.
Shikamaru’s eyes moved from the two girls that were incapable of answering a yes-or-no question. He looked to a beaming Rock Lee whose temperament was the same as always. The tai-nin even found a way to be boisterous without speaking. Shikamaru did always sort of admire Lee’s undying energy since the Nara himself was incapable of keeping his own spirits up in most situations. As long as he could remember, he had always been easily discouraged and never had the desire to put effort into self-improvement. It’s a wonder, but Shikamaru might even envy Lee for it.
Rock Lee’s eyes finally found Shikamaru’s and he offered one of his signature smiles. Shikamaru offered a bland lift of the corner of his mouth in return. Once Lee’s attention went back to the girl’s now discussing if they even want barbeque over ramen, Shikamaru’s eyes wandered again. He looked to the male standing dead still next to the ninja in green, Neji.
Neji stood with his hands at either side. His eyes were closed, and his head was ever so slightly tilted downward. A common stance the male took. Shikamaru began to notice it over the years. The lowered position of his head offered a sense of modesty versus the many Hyugas Shikamaru had seen in the village looking down their noses. Maybe it was a side branch thing. There never seemed to be feeling in Neji’s face but today it was more noticeable than ever. The man did not appear to be breathing. He was dead still. Something was different. The Nara will admit to himself that it was fairly rare that he even got the chance to just look at the Hyuga let alone speak to the guy, so what would he know? Shikamaru was on the verge of shrugging it off until Neji’s eyes opened, staring into Shikamaru directly as if the Hyuga had been observing the shadow-wielder through his lids the whole time. It made something shift in Shikamaru, something along the lines of discomfort. The stare wasn’t disproving, it was more so as if Neji had finally broken out of a spell of some sort and had finally returned to earth. Like he had forgotten where he was. Had he fallen asleep?
Shikamaru looked right back at him figuring that the longer he stared the more it would seem like he just expected the Huyga to say something instead of Neji gravitating towards the idea that Shikamaru had been studying him for the past minute. Neji deeply and silently inhaled finally averting his eyes to the conversation that was being held beside them. Shikamaru was left there alone still looking towards the Hyuga’s general direction. He looked to the gravel beneath their feet, Thinking.
“Can we just get barbeque?” Choji asked, desperation slightly evident in his voice.
“I’m not really feeling for meat.” Ino declined.
“Now that you mention it, I’m not really either.” TenTen followed.
This is crazy.
“They have salads at the place.” Choji offered.
“Are they good?” TenTen questioned.
Choji doesn’t eat salads.
“I don’t know.” Choji said.
“I could have some rice for sure.” Ino announced.
“So, I guess we’ll just have to settle on barbeque.” TenTen decided.
Without looking in the ladies’ direction, Shikamaru finally processed the conversation as a whole. He slowly narrowed his eyes. He will never understand women.
